Crossing signal



Jan-30, 1.923.y z E. A]l PEmmuGTonl.

CROSSING SIGNAL. K FILED MAY 9,1922- 2 SHEETS-SHEET I- INVENTOR @TY/A TWA WA W/A 4 ,wrrNEssel j ATTORNEY INVENTOR Jan. 30, 1923.

ATI'ORNEY .taatented dan. Sii, 1923.

ELoNzo n. PENNINGTQN, or fontana, lan-Klimas CROSSING SIGNAL.

.Application filed May 9, 1922. .Serial No. 559,562.

To all whom it may concern:

lle it known that l, lLoNZo EL. lnNNrNG- My present invention has reference to av safety device for railway crossings.

In carrying out my invention it is my purpose to arrange at a railway crossing a visi-- ble .and audible alarm which shall be automatically operated by a train approaching the crossing vfrom either direction;

A further object is to produce an automatic danger signal for railway crossings characterized by simplicity in construction and reliability and etliciency in practical use.

To the attainment ot the foregoing, the invention consists. in the improvement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

ln the accompanying drawings forming part of this specilication.

Figure. 1 is a side elevation illustrating` the application of my improvement.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure is an enlarged view ot the track apparatus, parts beingbrolren away and parts being in section.

Figure il 'theboxing 27.

.Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional riew on the line 5-5 of Figure.

it the corners-oi railway crossing` l arrange my improved signal. The improvement may be positioned at one corner or two oi. the diagonally opposed corners, or at all of the corners as desired, but in the drawings l have shown the same arranged at only one corner. The rails of the track are indil cated by the numeral 1, and at a suitable distance from one or both sides orn the crossing' l arrange alongside one or both ol? the rails a depressible member Q which is designed to be contacted by the flanges ot the wheels passing over the track. The depressible member 2 is in the nature olfA a plate that has its upper edge arched or rounded upwardly irom its ends to its center, the said central portion being normally projected above. The plate. or more strictly speaking the bar 2 projects through an opening in a housing 3 which is spiked or otherwise secured on Jthe supporting ties of the rails. The bar 2 is centrally formed with a dependis an enlarged sectional View of ing'portion in the nature'o a lug l to which arelpivotall;v connected oppositely directed arms 5v respectively. Each arm is pivotallv secured by nie'ans that pass transversely through the housing 3,.'and Ythe outer ends or f thefarms 5 have adjustably secured thereon weights T. i i i A that the rounded central portion of the bar 2 will be projected above the tread surface ofthe rail. i y.. 'i .l The pivots 6, to the opposite sides of oneor both of the `armshave arranged therearotmd spacing rolls 8, and secured to what may be termed the outer corner of thehousing there is one end'of a cable 9. This cable is trained` around suitable. grooved rollers 10 respectively, let in openings or depressionsin thel lower corners of the bar 2, and is trained over a grooif'ed sheave 11 journaled in bearings. at the iront corner ot the housing. lhe cable 9 is turther trained over additional oppositeiy disposed upper and lower sheaves and 13% respectively `and has its: end connected to a contractile spring 14 which in turn is connected .to a red (or cable) 15 that is received through a suitable l,openingiri a b oxf like housing- 16 and is connected to one' endof a rocker lever 18 pivoted ojl" its center,ias at 19in the said housing 16. Between the lever i5 and the housing,

springrlhe opposite or free end of the lever has vsecured thereto ya cable 21 trained around fasheave wheel 22 journaled inthe housing 16 and directed through an opening inv thetop ot the housing. The cable 21 may be and preferably .is connected with` al rod which is directed at a ward the cr ossing. The Siena-l includes liellowstandeid 1n the standard, adjacent to the bottom thereof there are 4grooved wheels or sheaves 24 around which is trained the flexible end ci the element 21.

The hollow standard has at its upper end a yoke-like extension that includes spacer` parallel arms respectively. ln the stand ard 23, below the arms there are journaled spaced grcoved wheels 26 respertively.- Gn

By this means it will be noted Opposite' its ccnnection with the rod 15 there isa contractile rected boxings 2T', in each of which there is l journaled a grooved wheel 28 respectively. Secured to the 'flexible element 21 thatis trained around the sheave- Q11 there isa rod 29 which ,is directed centrali thrffnigh the y c standard 23. The rod 29 passes through a bearing lug 29 in the standard. Surrount ing the rod 29 and in Contact with the lug 29 there is a spring 30. rlhe spring has one end secured to the rod to influence the same in a downward direction Jtor a purpose which will presently be understood. rlhe upper end ot the rod 29 has secured thereto a coiled spring 3l, and to the outer end ot the spring there are connected links 32 respectively. These links are received in eyes in the ends ot semaphore arms 33 respectively. Each arm passes through a bearing in the boxing 27 in the respective arms 25.

Between the bearings tor the semaphore arms and the boxings 27 there are raceways ior anti-trictional balls 3e whereby the arms may be freely moved on their pivots and friction between the moving parts reduced as much as possible.

Secured to the rod 29 below the grooved wheels 26, and passing through openings and guided over the respective opposed pairs of grooved wheels are the divided ends 35 of a flexible element. On the upper ends of the arms there is journaled in suit-able bearings 36 a shaft 37. rfhis shaft has its ends cranked, and secured to the said cranks are the said strands 35. On the shaft there is secured a bell 38, and loosely supported in the bell there. is a striker 39 there-tor.

On the rod 29 there may be secured a clevislike member el() to which may be connected exible elements that are trained around certain ot the sheaves 24 and that are directed in a manner as heretofore dcscribed to a depressible element similar to the bar 2 arranged adjacent to the siding or switch rails ot the system.

lt is thought that the foregoing description, when taken in connection with the drawings will fully set forth the construction, operation and advantages of the improvement. It is to be understood that the bar 2 and the housing` thereforare located a con siderable distance away from the crossing and that a train approaching the crossing will, upon the depression ot' the said bars swing the semaphore arms to signalling position. The swinging ot the bars will turn the crank shaft which will sound the bell and thus give audible alarm to persons approaching the crossing that a train is nearing the crossing. The parts automatically return tov initial position when pressure on the bar 2 is released. All oit the parts are cushioned by the spring elements attached thereto. The weights, which intluence the bar 2 are, as previously stated, adjustable and therefore any slack in the cable 9 may be compensated for after shortening the said cable. It is, ot course, to be understood that the showing and description refer only to a. satisfactory embodiment ot the improvement as it now appears to me and that l may n'iake such changes therefrom as tall within the scopev of what l claim.

Having described the invention cla-im:-

ln a crossing signal tor railways, a hollow standard having spaced arms extending trom the top thereof, ra boxing on each arm, a semaphore blade passing through and piv otally supported in each ot the boxings, a shai't journaled in bearings on the ends otl the arms, and the ends ot the shaft being cranked, a bell carrying a striker support'- ed on the shaft, a. rod disposed centrally in the standard, guide means therefor, spring butter means between the guide means and the rod, a spring secured to the upper end ot' the rod, flexible elements secured to the spring and to the respective semaphore blades, branch idexible elements secured to the rod, grooved wheels journaled in the standard around which said flexible elements are trained, and said flexible elements being connected to the cranked ends oi' the shaft, a yieldably supported tread bar along'one side ot one ot the rails oft' the trac i and designed to be forced downwardly by the wheels ot a rolling stock passing over the track, flexible elements secured to the ends ot' the rod, guide means therefor, and one of said llexible elements being connected to the tread bar and the other to the rod in the standard.

ln testimon whereof l a'fliX m i signature.

ELONZO A. PENNNGTON. 

